Fabulous Trucks that keep on Truck’n

Three year olds have a unique ability to destroy and abuse even the most durable of toys. Trucks may garner the most abuse which is why they have to be built extra tough if they want to survive the toddler years. These are the trucks that have survived the toddler tough test…

Little Tikes Dirt Digger with Monster Crane: The Dirt Digger is a BIG truck and built for getting dirty outside. This truck features a large removable crane that seconds as a favorite sand table tool. The crane features a spring-loaded claw that rotates 360 degrees and is simple to use for little hands. The truck bed can tilt sideways for all your toddler’s dump trucking needs. My favorite feature is the cleverly integrated handle on the truck’s cab making for easy clean-up.

Caterpillar 15″ Lights and Sounds Motorized Dump Truck: This is a good sized truck for indoor use. The truck performs 8 functions including moving forward or backward, lifting and lowering of the truck bed, and playing sounds of the ignition, horn, driver, and music. This truck has held up well but has shown more signs of abuse then others in our artillery.

Fisher Price’s Little People Build ‘n Drive Dump Truck: This truck is about 12″ long and works great indoors and out. No motors or electronics makes this a very durable truck. Works seamlessly with the Little People collection.

Kid Galaxy’s My First RC GoGo Fire Truck: Features a simple to use remote with two buttons. One button moves the car forward and the second button spins the car clockwise. The truck is soft and squeezable so don’t worry about the inevitable crashes into walls or younger siblings.

Take-A-Part Crane Truck: This is a fully functional truck with crane that can also be disassembled with included power tool for hours of fun. This is a favorite toy among 3 year olds but keep an eye on the pieces because they tend to disappear slowly with each rebuild. The small parts like the nuts and bolts are a good size for small hands but will be a choking hazard for younger siblings. The screws can sometime loosen on their own so they needed to be tightened by an adult if kids want to use the truck as a truck again.

Small World Express CAT Take-Apart Machines: A more expensive and higher quality take apart truck. A power tool is still included, truck can still be used as a truck and small parts are still easily lost. However the finish on this truck is more matte, has a higher quality feel to it and most importantly the screws stay put even without adult interaction. All of these make the price difference worth it.

Norscot CAT Articulated Truck: I bought three of these trucks on a deal site thinking the suggested age of 14 was silly and I could supervise for choking hazards. Turns out I was wrong this truck is not meant to be played with. Its cool and works like the real trucks but my 3 year old broke it in about 3 seconds. Not built to last with young curious children.

Melissa Jarotkiewicz, Editor
Melissa received a BS degree in Civil Engineering and is the proud stay at home mother of thing 1 and thing 2. Being the wife of an Air Force pilot means being the only parent for days, weeks and even months at a time. This chaotic and unpredictable life of a military mom calls for some serious retail therapy and Melissa puts her focus on baby gear and unfortunately for her husband the deal-a-day baby sites. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Melissa has lived in FL, OK, WA and just recently moved to Germany. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and watching college football in the fall. Go Irish!